At least a Credit in SPM and two years working experience; or Doctorate, Masters or Honours degree in Psychologyor related field or/ and IPC equivalent & perquisite certification levels

Group Size

Group limited to 8 participants maximum only to optimize group dynamics

Training Topics

Topics Covered Include:

Certification in Depression Psychotherapy

Introduction to Depression Psychotherapy

Depression psychotherapy is considered by most psychologists to be the essential form of psychotherapy in mental health treatment as depression is the most common form of mental illness. WHO estimated that at least one quarter of the population will get depression sometime in their lives making it the second most common disease after the common flu.

Depression psychotherapy can be used to help clients overcome depression, stress and explore different aspects of their own issues. In depression psychotherapy, the use of different techniques of psychotherapy to treat depression and related psychological disorders and enhance mental health are integrated.

The Malaysian Association of Psychotherapy (MAP) describes Depression psychotherapy as "a mental health profession that uses the latest and most effecctive processes of psychotherapy to reverse and prevent depression of individuals of all ages. It is based on the psychological researches that the depression psychotherapy process helps people to resolve emotional, cognitive and behavioural conflicts and problems, develop effective interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve valuable insight which are the best ways to treat and prevent depression."

History of Depression Psychotherapy

Couple Therapy couples at different stages of their relationshipWhile people have been using individual psychotherapy as a way to express, communicate and heal for the past few decades, family therapy only began to formalize during the middle of the 20th-century. PSychologists and psychiatrists noted that individuals suffering from mental illness were also often depressed, which led many pioneers of Depression Psychotherapy, such as Andy Clarke from the UK and David Barlow from the US, to develop models of therapy for depression as the core part of their psychotherapy practices and researches. Since then, Depression Psychotherapy has become an important part of the psychotherapeutic field and is used in most assessment and treatment techniques of psychotherapy.

Clinical Application of Depression Psychotherapy

Depression Psychotherapy can be used to treat a wide range of mental disorders and psychological distress as depression often is the underlying cause or the comorbidity for many these disorders and distress. In many cases, the treatment of the depression may resolve many of the other presenting symptoms.

Clinical situations in which Depression Psychotherapy might be utilized in the course include:

Individuals, couples or families having depression

Individuals, couples or families in distress

Individuals, couples or families having anxieties

Individuals, couples or families not having the desire to communicate

Couples loosing the desire to relate with each other

Individuals loosing their spiritual or religious faith

Children with learning disabilities

Individual family members experiencing severe stress

Children suffering from behavioral or social problems at school or at home

Individuals experiencing mental health problems

Individuals suffering from a brain injury

Individuals who has experienced a loss

Techniques of Depression PsychoTherapy

A family therapist may use a variety of art methods including regression to family of origins issues, emotion foccued approach, cognitive and behavioural approaches and psychodrama techniques with clients ranging from young children to the elderly. Clients who want to attain psychological and emotional growth as well as those who have experienced emotional trauma, physical violence, domestic abuse, anxiety, depression and other psychological issues can benefit from family therapy. Hospitals, private mental health offices, schools, religious and community organizations are all excellent settings where family therapy services may be available.

You might also wonder how a depression psychotherapy session differs from the average psychotherapy session. "In most psychotherapy sessions, the focus is on your inner experience through the context of your behaviour, thinking, feelings, perceptions, expectations and selves. While basic psychotherapy course may involve learning the skills or psychotherapy techniques, the emphasis of Depression Psychotherapy is generally first on developing and expressing oneself through the experience of the depression, which colours the way you see the outside world," explains Dr. Edward Chan, Course Director of IPC's International Professional Psychotherapy certification courses.

One of the most important skill you will learn in this course is how to help client surface their core feelings, thoughts, expectations, perceptions and selves through explorations of their depression.

How to set up a Depression Psychotherapist Clinical Practice

In Malaysia you need to first become a licensed practitioner member of MAP in order to offer psychotherapy services. Psychology centres endorsed by MAP such as IPC offers credentialing programs allow psychotherapists to become registered, board certified or licensed Depression psychotherapists practitioner member of MAP.

According to MAP, the minimum requirements:

A master's degree in family therapy, or

Equivalent related MAP endorsed certifications

Additional post-graduate supervised experience is also required. You can learn more about the training and educational requirements to become a psychotherapist and an a depression psychotherapist on the IPC (www.Psychology.com.my) and MAP website (www.MalaysianPsychotherapy.net).

Ethical issues

This include all the skills and knowledge of how to apply yourself professionally in the practice of Depression psychotherapy for effective outcome for the clients.

Course Layout

We use the mastery system of education. Besides lecturing, this course provides clinical experience such as: research, case study, group clinical supervision, reflections, discussions & presentation. Assessment includes case study oral and written presentations, group participation, research paper and assignments.

The topics mentioned above are taught within 3 months. During this period, students will also be given clinical case assignments and presentations to do.

Our course is structured as 2 intensive workshop with six group clinical supervision & oral / written case presentation for the assessment. Fulfilling the attendance and passing the criteria given will lead to towards the licensed practitioner membership of Adult Psychotherapy, Geriatric Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Couple Therapy, Child Therapy, Art Therapy and/or Expressive Therapy Divisions of Malaysia Association of Psychotherapy.

Equipment & Venue

Below are the equipments used:

Chairs & table

Course Book

White board

Notes/ books

Art Therapy materials

Figurines

SandTray

Symbols

Cds and Music

Venue: International Psychology Centre, Kuala Lumpur

Teaching Faculty

The course will be facilitated by IPC team of psychologists, art therapists, educational and child psychologists and child therapists, headed the course director

Dr. Edward is a fellow of the Malaysian Association of Psychotherapy; a fellow of the Malaysian Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Association; a level 5 (accredited supervisor) practitioner member of the division of Adult Psychotherapy; Educational Psychology; the division of Couple and Marital Therapy; and the division of Child Therapy of the Malaysian Association of Psychotherapy, a practitioner member of the Malaysian of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Association and the Psychotherapy Chapter, the Malaysian Society for Complementary Medicine.

Dr. Chan is a board member of the World Council for Psychotherapy; the Counselling & Psychotherapy Association of Commonwealth Nations (CPACN); the Malaysian Association for Psychotherapy; the Malaysian Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Associaiton; The Psychotherapy Chapter, the Malaysian Society for Complementary Medicine and the keynote presenter for the Asian Pacific Rim International Counseling & Psychotherapy Conference 2013 (APRCPC 2013)(www.COunselingMalaysia.com

Dr. Edward received postgraduate training on numerous psychological research and clinical practices from leading psychologists and psychotherapists in the world.

Dr. Chan had professional certification training in working with clients and patients with depression by Professor David Barlow from the Boston Centre for Anxiety and Professor Andy Clarke from the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London. He was also trained by Patrick Jansen Sandplay therapy & Symbol Work who pioneered Dona Kalff’s work on Sandplay Therapy in Australia based on her collaboration with Carl Jung and Emma Jung at the Jung Institute in Zurich. In addition, he received training from Mark Pearson in Expressive Therapy for Children & Adolescent from the Institute of Expressive Therapy, Australia. Dr Chan was also trained in clinical supervision in couple and family Therapy by Aldo Gurgone, licensed clinical Psychologist and Director of William Street Therapy centre, Australia.

Dr. Chan has also published widely, including in the academic proceedings in the various international and national conferences he has been invited to speak, Current Research & Practices on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Asia; the critically acclaimed parenting book, Are You Man Enough To Be a Father; couple psychology book, Love Is Never Enough, Pleasurable Commitment Rules; and Dancing with Crocodiles. Dr. Edward is the keynote speaker for the Asian Pacific Rim International Psychotherapy & Counseling Conference 2013 to be published in the Handbook of Psychotherapy & Counseling Research & Clinical Practice in Asia. His professional views on children, couple and adult psychology is also regularly sought and featured in national newspaper (including the parenting, women and appointment sections of the New Straits Time, the Education Section of the Star, Oriental Daily and professional and popular journals including: Malaysian Medical Tribune, Junior Statesman, Today's Parents, Better Parents, Mama Moden, Malaysian Women Weekly, Females, Marie Claire, Nona, Jelita, Malaysian Business, CIMA, Health & Beauty. He is also a well-known radio and television personality on educational and child psychological, relationship and family issues.

Dr. Edward Chan gained his degree in psychology from Middlesex University, UK., his Masters degree in Learning from the Dept. of Educational Research, University of Lancaster, UK., and his Doctorate in Psychology from the Intercultural Open University , the Netherlands. Dr. Chan spent 3 years at the Dept. of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford and the Open University, UK to conduct the research for his doctorate work.